Russian corners in the Basque Country

Did you know that Russians were touring Biarritz back to 1850, when they were looking for alternatives to their cold winter?

Russian Orthodox Church - Picture by Biarritz Tourist Board

After the Crimean war some novelty families touring in the region get in love with the Basque coast and decided even to make a house here. (Families like Golitsyn, Shakhovskoi, Kochubei, Buturlin, Trubetskoi and Orlov).

And the list of famous Russians coming to the French Basque Country goes on: Russia's first Prime Minister Sergei Witte, writer Anton Chekhov, the father of future novelist Vladimir Nabokov, the filmmaker Ivan Moszhukhin and the ballet company of Sergei Diaghelev.

The Russian community grow that much that they did an Russian Orthodox church near the hotel where most of Russians stayed, Hotel des Ambassadeurs.

Your tour to the city of Biarritz can not be ended without a visit to Alexandre Newsky Russian Orthodox church.

Other interesting point for Russians in the area are the summer camps Sokol and Orel, still run by the sons of those who went there as refugees.